The Polestar 2 is a very cool EV. It looks fantastic, it drives exceptionally well, and it has a lovely interior. Unfortunately, its range could be a bit better, and, as with most electric cars, it could stand to be a little cheaper. Luckily, Polestar has a new potential solution, as detailed in an announcement made on Tuesday.
The question of cost is being handled in a couple of different ways. The most significant development is the addition of a 231-horsepower, single-motor variant of the Polestar 2 to the lineup (today's existing dual-motor model contains a pair of 204-hp motors, one per axle). Half as many motors means this EV will be less expensive to build, right? This also means that the lighter, single-motor fastback should have a better overall range, even though it has the same 78-kWh battery -- Polestar estimates this to be around 260 miles. That's not quite Tesla range, true, but it's good enough for most people. The new base model also gets some rad seats with "embossed" vegan textile upholstery and 3D-etched door and center console trim.
The new base model gets awesome textile seats.
PolestarNext, Polestar will shortly offer the 2 with an available mechanical heat pump. This tech will also increase the range for all models by as much as 10% under certain climate conditions. In particular, the pump should help improve cold-weather performance substantially, especially in the 40-to-60-degree range. These are significant benefits for what will likely amount to a minimal increase in cost. This equipment will be available on both the dual-motor and single-motor variants.
The final way that Volvo's all-electric spinoff is tackling cost is by making its options list a bit more granular. By this, I mean that the company is breaking options out into more packages, where previously, you had a basic Polestar 2, and then you could spend an extra $5,000 on the Performance Pack version. The new packages are called Plus Pack and Pilot Pack, and they're available on both the single- and dual-motor cars. The former adds that heat pump, a panoramic sunroof, a Harmon Kardon sound system, vegan leatherette upholstery, powered and heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel, while the Pilot pack brings pixel LED headlights and a bunch of driver-assist features like adaptive cruise control with Pilot Assist, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera. The Performance Pack is sticking around, too, for all you Ohlins damper fiends, and you can also select individual options like ventilated Nappa seats and 20-inch wheels.
Unfortunately, Polestar isn't quite ready to announce the pricing breakdown for these changes to the 2, but we expect the new numbers will go a long way to making this EV more appealing to more people. The new single-motor Polestar 2 is slated to arrive in showrooms at the end of this year, with pricing and more specific range details expected closer to launch.
